'He's running it a lot more professionally' - Former Alabama star explains the difference between Kalen DeBoer and Nick Saban

The first season of the post-Nick Saban era for the Alabama Crimson Tide was a bit of a letdown -- but only because of the success that Bama achieved under Saban from 2007 to 2023. 

Kalen DeBoer, who left Washington to take over at Alabama after Saban's retirement in early 2024, went 9-4 during his first season in Tuscaloosa. 

Winning nine games as a first-year coach in the SEC is an impressive accomplishment (especially considering one of those wins came against Georgia). DeBoer's solid debut season at Bama, however, was overshadowed due to unexpected losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma (which kept the Crimson Tide out of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff). 

One reason why Alabama struggled with consistency in 2024 was because some players, according to former Crimson Tide offensive lineman JC Latham, took time to adjust from the intense structure of the Saban era to the more pro-style approach of DeBoer (which allowed more freedom for players).

Latham, a first round selection by the Tennessee Titans in the 2024 NFL Draft, didn't play under DeBoer, but he's obviously still close with numerous players that were on Alabama's roster last season. 

"I really just think last year was just kind of like a feeling out process, honestly," said Latham during a recent appearance on Bussin With the Boys. "What DeBoer is doing over there, I mean, I love it. I'm all for it. He's running it a lot more professionally.

"Saban was a real hard hat. He was really -- like, I played through a broken toe, someone else played through a broken hand. And it's like you're putting your body and your career on the line for your brothers. And you had no issue doing that over there. But at the end of the day, you were kind of shaving off a little bit of your game and your play because you're playing through injury. But like I said, you had no issue doing that. DeBoer is kind of more like, let's run this professionally. Let's practice in the morning, do a walk through at night so we can retain the information. Let's make sure they get an off day from this so they can actually rest and recover. And I think guys just kind of got caught up in it a little bit. I honestly think that's really just what it was."

"I mean, I saw guys wearing long sleeves -- Saban never let people wear long sleeves, like guys wearing long sleeves and hats," added Latham. "And I'm not going to be an old head, being like, oh, that's different, whatever, I'm not one of them [types]. But, you know, I just think you're getting caught up in the culture shift. That's all it is."